It’s the world’s biggest week of piping, with over 50,000 fans flocking to Glasgow to enjoy 200 events and the World Pipe Band Championships happening alongside - and now, it has a big mascot to match.

Piping Live! is back for another year on August 7-13, and this year’s programme was launched at Glasgow Green this morning with the help of a Colossal Clansman - a 23ft piper created using a whopping six miles of fabric (the same amount it takes to kit out the 23 Piping Live and 21 grade 1 Worlds competitors).

The 7m by 4m portrait by Glasgow artist Bruno Gallagher was created to show off the scale of both events, which attract visitors from around the globe.

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Some 8,000 performers are on the programme, including Peatbog Faeries, Battlefield Band and Tejedor, with more to be announced soon.

Daily performances and family events will take place in George Square, the festival hub, as well as a food and drink Pipers’ Market.

Roddy MacLeod, festival director, said: “Last year’s festival was all about celebrating bagpipes being at the heart of life’s moments that matter and this certainly resonated with people, as we celebrated a record-breaking number of attendees at Piping Live!

As well as selling more tickets than ever before, the festival had an economic impact of £2.3 million to Glasgow, which is just incredible.

“This year we are continuing to celebrate how piping and its music brings people together, with a diverse programme of events gathering the world’s best pipers and traditional musicians to the city.

“There really is something for everyone at Piping Live! – so make sure you come along and help make 2017 another record year for the festival.”

Watch as Glasgow Live has a go at the pipes

It’s the 70th anniversary year as the first ever event was held in 1947 in Edinburgh - it came to Glasgow in 1948 and has been held here every year since 1986.

The Worlds will see Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band from Northern Ireland defend their title, with 225 bands from all over the globe travelling in to compete.

Ian Embelton, chief executive of the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association said: “The World Pipe Band Championships has developed and changed throughout its history but at its core the challenge to Pipe Bands is still the same.